Display that emits circularly-polarized light

ABSTRACT

One embodiment of the present invention provides a display that emits circularly-polarized light. This display includes a display mechanism that emits linearly-polarized light and a layer placed in the path of the linearly-polarized light. The layer receives the linearly-polarized light on one surface, converts the linearly-polarized light to circularly-polarized light, and then emits the circularly-polarized light from another surface. By emitting circularly-polarized light, the display reduces the perceived distortion found at some angles when the display is viewed through a linearly-polarizing filter.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of, and hereby claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to, application Ser. No. 11/500,677,titled “Display that Emits Circularly Polarized Light,” by inventorsJohn Z. Zhong, Wei Chen, Cheng Chen, Victor H. E. Yin, and Shawn R.Gettemy, filed 8 Aug. 2006.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to liquid crystal displays. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal displaythat emits circularly-polarized light and thereby reduces perceiveddistortion when the display is viewed through linearly-polarizingfilters such as polarized sunglasses.

2. Related Art

Explosive growth in the popularity of mobile communication and computingdevices has created a burgeoning demand for low-power displays. Mostportable digital devices include at least one display screen to outputinformation to users. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which are based onpolarization optics and typically employ linear polarizers on theirfront surfaces, are frequently used in portable devices. LCDs emitlinearly-polarized light, with an electric field that vibrates only inone direction.

The use of portable computing devices outdoors or in other brightenvironments can result in users viewing such devices through polarizedsunglasses, which typically only allow through light with an electricfield that vibrates in the vertical direction. Hence, a user looking atthe LCD display of a portable device, such as a global positioningsatellite (GPS) receiver, portable music player, or personal digitalassistant (PDA), may see a distorted image in the display when viewedthrough polarized sunglasses, due to the polarized filters in thesunglasses blocking the light when the display is viewed from someangles. Depending on the angle at which the device is held or viewed,the image might be clear, completely dark, or somewhere in-between. Animage might be further distorted when a lens cover is placed in front ofthe display for protection or industrial design, because such lensplastics are typically manufactured without good control of opticalbirefringence, which can result in non-uniform optical retardation. As aresult, when viewed through polarized sunglasses, the image may appearto include numerous color- and gray-shade artifacts.

Hence, what is needed is an apparatus and a method for alleviating theabove-described display issues.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention provides a display that emitscircularly-polarized light. This display includes a display mechanismthat emits linearly-polarized light and a layer placed in the path ofthe linearly-polarized light. The layer receives the linearly-polarizedlight on one surface, converts the linearly-polarized light tocircularly-polarized light, and then emits the circularly-polarizedlight from another surface. By emitting circularly-polarized light, thedisplay reduces the perceived distortion found at some angles when thedisplay is viewed through a linearly-polarizing filter.

In a variation on this embodiment, the linearly-polarizing filter is apolarizing sunglass lens. In this embodiment, the portable computingdevices containing such displays can hence be viewed outdoors or inother bright environments through polarized sunglasses with lessperceived distortion.

In a variation on this embodiment, the layer is a retardation film witha higher refractive index in a first direction than in a second, whichis perpendicular to the first direction.

In a further variation, the first direction in the retardation film isaligned 45 degrees with respect to the plane of the linearly-polarizedlight emitted by the display mechanism.

In a further variation, the thickness of the retardation film is tunedto convert linearly-polarized light to circularly-polarized light.

In a variation on this embodiment, the layer is: laminated on top of thedisplay mechanism; a film in front of the display mechanism; and/orincorporated into a display cover which can be attached to the displaymechanism.

In a variation on this embodiment, the display mechanism includes: atransmissive mechanism configured to actively generate and transmitlight; a reflective mechanism configured to selectively reflect externallight; or a trans-flective mechanism configured to both activelygenerate and transmit light as well as to selectively reflect externallight.

In a variation on this embodiment, the display mechanism is a liquidcrystal display mechanism that includes a liquid crystal layer and apolarizing layer that linearly polarizes light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed incolor. Copies of this patent or patent application publication withcolor drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and paymentof the necessary fee.

FIG. 1 illustrates a device with an LCD in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a quarter-wave retardation film in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a quarter-wave retardation film in proximity to anLCD in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates perceived LCD brightness as a function of the anglebetween the display and the polarized filter transmission direction inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A illustrates a first view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with a retardation film placed on the upper right area of thedisplay in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B illustrates a second view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with a retardation film placed on the upper right area of thedisplay in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5C illustrates a third view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with a retardation film placed on the upper right area of thedisplay in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A illustrates a first view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with an uncontrolled poly-carbonate lens cover in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B illustrates a second view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with an uncontrolled poly-carbonate lens cover in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6C illustrates a third view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with an uncontrolled poly-carbonate lens cover in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A illustrates a first view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with a retardation film in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7B illustrates a second view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with a retardation film in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7C illustrates a third view through polarized sunglasses of an LCDdisplay with a retardation film in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context ofa particular application and its requirements. Various modifications tothe disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied toother embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is notlimited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the claims.

Liquid Crystal Displays

Displays that emit linearly-polarized light, such as LCDs, may appear toinclude numerous color- and gray-shade artifacts when viewed at someangles through polarized filters, such as polarized sunglass lenses.Such effects can result in a negative viewing experience, especiallywhen viewing video. This effect is especially apparent for handhelddevices, which are more likely to be used outdoors and hence more likelyto be viewed through polarized sunglasses. The present invention reducessuch distortion and provides viewers a consistent viewing experience byusing a retardation film in front of the LCD.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the retardation film is aquarter-wave retardation film with a higher refractive index in onedirection, called the optical axis, than in the direction perpendicularto the optical axis. Light passing through a retardation film vibrateseither along or perpendicular to the optical axis, and gains opticalphase depending on the thickness of the retardation film. The thicknessof a given retardation film can be chosen to provide linear polarizationor circularly-polarized rotation, depending on the intended use.Circularly-polarized rotation results in isotropic light with no angulardependence, which remains visible even when viewed through polarizingfilters.

FIG. 1 illustrates a device 100 with an LCD display 102.

FIG. 2 illustrates a quarter-wave retardation film 200 with filmthickness ‘D’ 206. The refractive index ‘X’ 202, in the direction of theoptical axis, is longer than the refractive index ‘Y’ 204, whosedirection is perpendicular to the optical axis. The total phaseretardation light gained when light passes through this film is equal orclose to one-quarter of the wavelength of light, e.g.: (X−Y)*d=λ/4,where λ is the wavelength of the light. The thickness of the retardationfilm (also known as an “A-plate”) can be tuned to circularly polarizelight that passes through. When used in conjunction with a display thatlinearly polarizes light, this film emits circularly-polarized lightwith consistent image quality even when viewed at different anglesthrough a polarizing sunglass.

FIG. 3 illustrates a quarter-wave retardation film in proximity to aliquid crystal display. The quarter-wave retardation film 200 is inproximity to the front polarizer 302 of the LCD. Internal A-plates 304may also be used in the LCD, for instance to enlarge the viewing angleof the display, and may be above, below, or both above and below aliquid crystal layer 306 sandwiched between two glass layers 308. TheLCD typically also includes a bottom polarizer 310. Additional displaycomponents 312 may vary depending on the type of display. For instance,the additional display components may include circuitry to control thetransparency of the liquid crystal layer, a backlight that generatestransmissive light 314, reflective structures that incorporate reflectedlight 316 in the display image, or structures that support bothtransmissive and reflective capabilities. Note that the techniquedescribed in the present invention can be applied to transmissivedisplays, reflective displays, and trans-flective displays.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the optical axis ofthe retardation film is aligned 45 degrees with respect to thetransmission direction of the linearly-polarized light emitted by thefront polarizer 302 of the LCD display.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the retardation film can be:laminated on top of the front polarizer 302; formed as a separate filmin front of the display screen; and/or incorporated into a display coverwhich can be attached to the display mechanism. For instance, in thethird case, the film can be incorporated into a protective plasticcover, such as a protective sleeve fit over a portable music player. Thefilm can be laminated onto a lens cover or formed through a specialprocess during lens formation, for instance using flow-inducedbirefringence while injection-molding a poly-carbonate material with adirectional control.

Note that addition of the film or plastic cover onto a typical mobileLCD does not adversely affect display luminance or image quality undernormal (e.g. without polarized sunglasses) viewing conditions.

FIG. 4 illustrates perceived LCD brightness as a function of the anglebetween the display and the polarized filter transmission direction 404,with the perceived brightness normalized to that of an LCD without aretardation film viewed without sunglasses. When viewed through apolarized filter without a retardation film 406, the perceived displaybrightness 402 varies widely, e.g. from no light received to fullbrightness on this angle, depending on this angle. When viewed through apolarized filter with a retardation film 406, the perceived displaybrightness is substantially regular across the range of angles. Notethat while variations in thickness of the retardation film may result insmall variations in brightness, such variations are typically small inhigh-brightness displays, and often are undetectable by human vision.Furthermore, prior art in LCD manufacturing of other display layers toreduce distortion can also be applied to minimizing such variations inthickness in the circularly-polarizing retardation film.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate views of an LCD display that includes aretardation film 502 (in the upper right area of the display) fromdifferent angles through polarized sunglasses. When viewed directly, asin FIG. 5A, only a small amount of distortion is visible, but the viewsshown in FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C show the blocking of the linearly-polarizedlight from the left area of the display, and the unblocked transmissionof the circularly-polarized light from the right area of the display.

FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate distorted views of an LCD display with anuncontrolled poly-carbonate lens cover when viewed at different anglesthrough polarized sunglasses.

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate views of an LCD display with a sunglass-friendlyretardation film when viewed at different angles through polarizedsunglasses. Note that these views are not distorted or varied atdifferent viewing angles.

In summary, one embodiment of the present invention uses a retardationfilm to circularly polarize light emitted by a display that emitslinearly-polarized light. By circularly polarizing light, theretardation film allows the display to be viewed at different anglesthrough polarized filters, such as those found in polarizing sunglasses,without perceived distortion.

The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the present invention havebeen presented only for purposes of illustration and description. Theyare not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention tothe forms disclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations willbe apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. Additionally, the abovedisclosure is not intended to limit the present invention. The scope ofthe present invention is defined by the appended claims.

1. A computing device that includes: a computational engine; amemory-based storage system; and a display used to present information;wherein the display includes: a display mechanism that emitslinearly-polarized light; a layer that circularly polarizes light whichis placed in the path of the linearly-polarized light, so that the layerconverts the linearly-polarized light to circularly-polarized light; oneor more a-plates coupled to the layer that circularly polarizes light;and wherein the display reduces perceived distortion when the display isviewed through a linearly-polarizing filter.
 2. The computing device ofclaim 1, wherein the computing device is a portable computing device,which can be used outdoors or in other bright environments; and whereinthe linearly-polarizing filter is a polarizing sunglass lens.
 3. Thecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the layer comprises a retardationfilm; wherein the retardation film has a higher refractive index in afirst direction than in a second direction perpendicular to the firstdirection; wherein the first direction in the retardation film isaligned 45 degrees with respect to the plane of the linearly-polarizedlight emitted by the display mechanism; and wherein the thickness of theretardation film is tuned to convert linearly-polarized light tocircularly-polarized light.
 4. The computing device of claim 1, whereinthe layer is: laminated on top of the display mechanism; a film in frontof the display mechanism; and/or incorporated into a display cover whichcan be attached to the display mechanism.
 5. The computing device ofclaim 1, wherein the display mechanism includes: a transmissivemechanism configured to actively generate and transmit light; areflective mechanism configured to selectively reflect external light;or a trans-flective mechanism configured to both actively generate andtransmit light as well as selectively reflect external light.
 6. Thecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is a liquidcrystal display mechanism that further comprises: a liquid crystallayer; and a polarizing layer that linearly polarizes light.